New blog post by Dr. Andreas Umland: An East European-Turkish Pact Against Russian Neo-Imperialism

In his blog post, Andreas Umland, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation in Kyiv, introduces the concept of an emerging Intermarium bloc among non-nuclear states located between NATO's founding countries and Russia. While not necessarily a game changer for European geopolitics, Dr. Umland argues that this informal pact could solidify into a single-purpose defense treaty committed to deterring the Kremlin's hybrid warfare. Against the backdrop of deteriorating Russia-Turkey relations, Ankara has also stepped up its engagement with Kyiv – an indication that Turkey can also be drawn into this bloc, asserts Umland.

"The emergence of an Intermarium coalition would demonstrate not only to the Kremlin, but also to Russia's population, that Moscow's growing foreign adventurism is detrimental to Russian national interests."

"Moscow's attack on Ukraine and annexation of Crimea has not only intensified existing feelings of mutual solidarity within Eastern Europe, but has also brought Turkey into the East European game, as the Crimean Tatars are closely related to the Turks and strongly resist their inclusion into Russia."

New blog post by Aykan Erdemir and Merve Tahiroglu: Can Terror-Stricken Turkey be the EU's Security Bulwark?

The EU's view of Turkey as a security bulwark is optimistic despite the current instabilities the country is facing – frequent terrorist attacks, the proximity of ISIL in Syria, state-PKK clashes in the southeast. In their blog post, Aykan Erdemir and Merve Tahiroglu, senior fellow and research analyst respectively with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), question Turkey's ability to play the role of "Europe's barricade" against threats from its external borders. The authors point to a serious security deficit, which is compounded by the fact that the ruling party is using Turkey's security apparatus to suppress dissidents as much as is it to fight terrorism. Additionally, while the Turkey-EU refugee deal may stem the flow of refugees from the Middle East in the short-term, the authors contend that by turning a blind eye to Turkey's domestic instability, the EU is setting the stage for a Turkish refugee influx in the medium to long term.

"Europe's vision of Turkey as a security bulwark against threats from the Middle East rests on the presumption that EU candidate Turkey will remain stable itself. In reality, Turkey has an acute terrorism problem, which, if ignored, could have dire consequences for Europe."

"With depressingly regular terrorist attacks in major cities and its ongoing war with the PKK, Turkey increasingly resembles its Middle Eastern neighbors – those failing states whose refugees Europe expects Ankara to protect it from."

A Call for Humanity: Istanbul Hosted the First Ever World Humanitarian Summit

Istanbul hosted the first ever World Humanitarian Summit on May 23rd and 24th. A global call to action by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Summit aimed to reinvigorate a commitment to humanity, initiate commitments for countries to better respond to crises, and share best practices which can help save lives around the world. In addition to Heads of States, approximately 5,000 participants attended, representing global leaders from governments, businesses, aid organizations, and civil society.

TPQ was present at the Summit with its journals. More information on the Summit can be found on their website: https://www.worldhumanitariansummit.org

TPQ Partners with Halifax International Security Forum

We are pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Halifax International Security Forum. Halifax is recognized as the leading gathering of democratic leaders committed to global security and prosperity. This partnership will strengthen TPQ's commitment to upholding key democratic values including freedom of expression, expanding the parameters of debate, and providing our readers with informed analyses on topical global security issues.

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